1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a dry multiple-disk clutch for, for example, a motorcycle and, more particularly, to a low-noise or silent dry multiple-disk clutch.
2. Description of the Related Art
A generally known dry multiple-disk clutch includes driving friction disks provided on their outside circumferences with external teeth, driven friction disks provided on their inside circumferences with internal teeth, an outer clutch member having the shape of a bottomed cylinder and provided with slots in its side wall, an inner clutch member provided with splines, and a pressure mechanism. The driving friction disks and the driven friction disks are arranged alternately with the external teeth of the driving friction disks engaged in the slots of the outer clutch member and the internal teeth of the driven clutch disks engaged with the splines of the inner clutch member. The driving clutch disks are axially movable relative to the outer clutch member, and the driven friction disks are axially movable relative to the inner clutch member. The pressure mechanism applies pressure to the superposed driving and driven clutch disks to transmit power from the outer clutch member to the inner clutch member by the agency of friction between the driving and the driven clutch disks. When the pressure applied to the driving and the driven clutch disks by the pressure mechanism is removed, the driving and the driven clutch disks are spaced apart to stop power transmission. Such a dry multiple-disk clutch is disclosed FIG. 1 of JP 2-570 B.
While engaging or disengaging such a dry multiple-disk clutch or while the rotational speed of the outer clutch member is unstable, the outer clutch member is able to move in a rotating direction relative to the driving friction disks by a circumferential displacement corresponding to gaps between each of the external teeth of the driving friction disks and edges of parts of the sidewall of the outer clutch member defining the slots of the outer clutch member. Consequently, the edges of the parts of the side wall of the outer clutch member strike against the edges of the external teeth of the driving friction disks to generate hitting sounds.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a dry multiple-disk clutch capable of controlling the generation of hitting sounds.